Parent Roadmap to Common Core Standards. English Language Arts

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1 Parent Roadmap to Common Core Standards America s schools are working to provide higher quality instruction than ever before. The way we taught students in the past simply does not prepare them for the higher demands of college and careers today and in the future. Your school and schools throughout the country are working to improve teaching and learning to ensure that all children will graduate high school with the skills they need to be successful. In English language arts and literacy, this means three major changes. Students will continue reading and writing. But in addition to stories and literature, they will read more texts that provide facts and background knowledge in areas including science and social studies. They will read more challenging texts and be asked more questions that will require them to refer back to what they have read. There will also be an increased emphasis on building a strong vocabulary so that students can read and understand challenging material. English Language Arts. Grade Level Expectations In kindergarten, students will learn the alphabet and the basic features of letters and words. They will break down spoken and written words into syllables and letters and identify the sounds each letter makes. These important skills will enable your child to learn new words and to read and understand simple books and stories. Students will also learn to write and share information in a variety of ways, including drawing, writing letters and words, listening to others, and speaking aloud. Activities in these areas will include: Naming and writing upper- and lowercase letters Matching letters to sounds and using other methods to figure out unfamiliar words when reading and writing Learning and using new words Identifying words that rhyme Reading common words such as the, of, you, are, she, and my Asking and answering questions about a story the teacher reads out loud Identifying characters, settings, and major events in a story Recognizing the person, place, thing, or idea that an illustration shows Participating in discussions by listening and taking turns speaking Using a combination of drawing, speaking, and writing to describe an event, give information about a topic, or share an opinion Taking part in shared reading, writing, and research projects Expressing thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly

2 In kindergarten, students will read stories and poems. Additionally, they will read to learn information about history, the world, science, and other areas. Here are just a few examples of how your child will develop important reading skills across grade levels. READING LITERATURE Kindergarten Reading With help from the teacher, students retell stories, including key details. With help from the teacher, students name the author and illustrator of a story and define the role of each in telling the story. Grade One Reading Students retell stories, including key details, and show that they understand the lesson or moral of a story. Students identify who is telling the story at various points in a text. Grade Two Reading Students retell stories and determine their central message, lesson, or moral. Students acknowledge differences in the points of view of characters, including by speaking in a different voice for each character when reading dialogue aloud. READING FOR INFORMATION Kindergarten Reading With help from the teacher, students ask and answer questions about key details in a text. With help from the teacher, students identify what person, place, thing, or idea a picture shows. Grade One Reading Students ask and answer questions about key details in a text. Students use the illustrations and details in a text to describe key ideas. Grade Two Reading Students ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text. Students explain how specific images or illustrations (such as a diagram of how a machine works) are useful. Students will read more challenging texts and materials as they progress through grade levels.

3 Writing tasks in kindergarten may include short compositions that tell a story, share an opinion, or present information. Here are just a few examples of how your child will develop important writing skills across grade levels. Kindergarten Writing Using a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing, students name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic. Grade One Writing Students name a topic and supply some facts about the topic. Students provide some sense of closure. Grade Two Writing Students introduce a topic and use facts and definitions to develop points. Students provide a concluding statement or section. Some writing guidelines may seem similar from year to year. However, with practice at each grade level, students continue to learn and apply the rules of standard written English and to strengthen and expand their vocabulary, use of language, and organization of ideas.

4 Partnering with your child s teacher: Don t be afraid to reach out to your child s teacher you are an important part of your child s education. Ask to see a sample of your child s work or bring a sample with you. Ask the teacher questions like: Is my child learning to read and write? What are my child s strengths and weaknesses? What can I do at home to make sure that my child is successful? Helping Your Child Learn Outside of School 1. Read to your child and have him or her read to you every day for at least 15 minutes. Pick out words that might be new to your child or words that have multiple or complex meanings. Discuss those words and how they add to what the writer is saying. 2. Ask your child to retell a story in his or her own words by telling what happened first, second, third, etc. 3. Ask your child to think about what the message of a story may be or what he or she learned from an informational book or article. 4. Look for opportunities in everyday places to build your child s vocabulary. 5. Be sure your child has a library card. Children should select books in which they are interested to develop a passion for reading. Many libraries have book clubs and family activities that make reading fun for the entire family. 6. Use technology to help build your child s interest in reading. There are several websites where students can read books or articles online. The computer will help with words the student cannot read independently. Libraries also have computers students can use to access those sites. Feel free to ask a librarian or teacher for suggestions.

5 Mathematics America s schools are working to provide higher quality instruction than ever before. In mathematics, teachers will concentrate on teaching a more focused set of major math concepts and skills. This will allow students time to master key math concepts and skills in a more organized way throughout the year and from one grade to the next. It will also call for teachers to use rich and challenging math content and to engage students in solving real-world problems in order to inspire greater interest in mathematics.. Grade Level Expectations In kindergarten, your child will focus primarily on two important areas. The first is learning numbers and what numbers represent. The second is addition and subtraction. Students will also learn to identify and work with shapes. Activities in these areas include: Counting how many objects are in a group and comparing the quantities of two groups of objects Comparing two numbers to identify which is greater or less than the other Understanding addition as putting together and subtraction as taking away from Adding and subtracting very small numbers quickly and accurately Breaking up numbers less than or equal to 10 in more than one way (for example, 9=6+3, 9=5+4) For any number from 1 to 9, finding the missing quantity that is needed to reach 10 Representing addition and subtraction word problems using objects or by drawing pictures Solving addition and subtraction word problems involving numbers that add up to 10 or less or by subtracting from a number 10 or less

6 Here are just a few examples of the skills and strategies students will develop as they solve word problems in kindergarten. MATHEMATICS Kindergarten Mathematics Represent addition and subtraction with objects, fingers, mental images, drawings, sounds (such as claps), acting out situations, verbal explanations, expressions, and equations Solve word problems by adding or subtracting numbers up through 10 using objects and drawings Grade One Mathematics Solve word problems by adding or subtracting numbers up through 20 Solve addition and subtraction problems for different unknown numbers (20-?=15, 9+4=?) Grade Two Mathematics Solve one- and two-step word problems by adding or subtracting numbers up through 100 Examples of Kindergarten Word Problems + ADDITION - SUBTRACTION Three red apples and three green apples are on the table. How many apples are on the table? Mom has ten apples. She gives one to Mary Ann. How many apples are left? In kindergarten your child will use a variety of pictures and models to understand and solve addition and subtraction problems.

7 Here are just a few examples of how students will work with numbers and learn to think of ten as a unit important building blocks for understanding place value. Kindergarten Mathematics Count to 100 by ones and tens Understand that numbers from 11 to 19 contain a ten and some leftover ones (for example, 14=10+4) Grade One Mathematics Understand that 10 can be thought of as a bundle of ten ones called a ten Understand that the two digits of a twodigit number represent amounts of tens and ones (place value) Add and subtract numbers through 100 using what students have learned about place value Grade Two Mathematics Understand that 100 can be thought of as a bundle of ten tens called a hundred Understand that the three digits of a threedigit number represent amounts of hundreds, tens, and ones (place value) Add and subtract numbers through 1000 using what students have learned about place value Your child will learn to find the partners that make ten for any number. This drawing shows that if you have 8, it takes 2 more to make 10. From there, students learn to think of ten as a unit and to break all the teen numbers down to a ten and some leftover ones.

8 Partnering with your child s teacher: Don t be afraid to reach out to your child s teacher you are an important part of your child s education. Ask to see a sample of your child s work or bring a sample with you. Ask the teacher questions like: Is my child at the level where he/she should be at this point of the school year? Where is my child excelling? What do you think is giving my child the most trouble? How can I help my child improve in this area? What can I do to help my child with upcoming work? Helping Your Child Learn Outside of School 1. Use everyday objects to allow your child to count and group a collection of objects. 2. Encourage your child to construct numbers in multiple ways. For example, what are some ways that you can make 10? Answers might include 5+5, 6+4, 8+2, etc. Have your child explain his or her thinking. 3. Have your child create story problems to represent addition and subtraction of small numbers. For example, Ann had eight balloons. Then she gave three away, so she only had five left. 4. Encourage your child to stick with it whenever a problem seems difficult. This will help your child see that everyone can learn math. 5. Praise your child when he or she makes an effort and share in the excitement when he or she solves a problem or understands something for the first time.